Bloomberg 'privately conceding' no W.H. run

The New York Times' City Hall reporter, Michael Barbaro, has a graf in this a.m.'s story about hizzoner's opinion venture, Bloomberg View, that shines a light on the mayor's role — or lack thereof — in 2012:

"The mayor, a keen student of power, is privately conceding to friends that he will not be a candidate for president, a position he covets, and he is coming to grips with the reality that philanthropy, even on the sky-is-the-limit scale that he is planning, will not be enough to make him a potent force in national and international affairs."

Story Continued Below

Bloomberg's candidacy has always been viewed as a long shot — an unpredictable political force that drove presidential parlor chatter thanks to its deep, deep pockets. John Heilemann wrote last October that a Bloomberg-for-president bid might push $3 billion.

Bloomberg View represents a foray into opinion for Bloomberg, L.P., the communications behemoth that generated the mayor's vast personal wealth. The company announced in December that it will distribute unsigned editorials across its media properties, including the staid wire service and Bloomberg Businessweek magazine.